Sunday Best Chronicles Career of Ed Sullivan

Remember when Oprah spoke about seeing Diana Ross for the first time and shared how folks in the neighborhood would yell, “Black people on TV…? ” That reaction was common when watching Black entertainers on television, but particularly acts on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Ed Sullivan broke racial barriers for Black artists to be seen on television during a time when we weren’t allowed to ride in the front of a bus, sit in a restaurant or drink from a water fountain.

Directed by the recently deceased Sacha Jenkins, Sunday Best tells the untold story of how Ed Sullivan introduced the world to little known Black artists who ultimately defined the Motown era including icons like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, and The Jackson 5, thus launching them into mainstream popularity.

Blending rare archival footage, personal letters, and never-before-seen home videos from the Ed Sullivan Estate, this documentary touts powerful performances and cultural milestones from artists positioning Sullivan as a racial revolutionary, who used entertainment to work towards a more integrated and equitable society.

All while bringing to the forefront, the nostalgia of music which changed a generation and American culture. Not only did Sullivan present Motown artists, but a young Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, many Broadway stars (Carol Burnett), comedians (Richard Pryor, Dick Gregory) and musicians (The Carpenters).

This historically simplistic, cinematic field trip through decades of entertainment is not only a reminder of days gone by, but an education of how one person can effect lives of those he never had an opportunity to meet or showcase. Sullivan’s mission was fulfilled and when his time was done as these artists continued the legacy he assisted in fostering and building, much in the same manner as Berry Gordy made Motown and all of its acts global sensations.

It’s so ironic that Jenkins, primarily known for bringing the masses documentaries like Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues, All Up in the Biz, and Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James would unknowingly end his legacy with Ed Sullivan – a white man. Just goes to show you art can sometimes transcend race – and this time it most certainly accomplished that goal. Sunday Best is now streaming via Netflix